Cruciate ligament of atlas

Not to be confused with anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament.

Cruciate ligament of atlas
Membrana tectoria, transverse, and alar ligaments. ("Transverse ligament" and "vertical portion" visible intersecting at center.)
Details
System	skeletal
From	medial tubercles of atlas bone (C1), anterior side of foramen magnum of occipital bone of skull, body of axis bone (C2)
Identifiers
Latin	ligamentum cruciforme atlantis
TA98	A03.2.04.004
TA2	1699
FMA	25018
Anatomical terminology [ edit on Wikidata]

The cruciate ligament of the atlas (cruciform ligament) is a cross-shaped (thus the name) ligament in the neck forming part of the atlanto-axial joint. It consists of the transverse ligament of atlas, a superior longitudinal band, and an inferior longitudinal band.

The cruciate ligament of the atlas prevents abnormal movement of the atlanto-axial joint.

It may be torn, such as by fractures of the atlas bone.

C: Cruciate ligament of atlas

Structure

The cruciate ligament of the atlas consists of the transverse ligament of the atlas, a superior longitudinal band, and an inferior longitudinal band. ^{[1] [2]} The superior longitudinal band connects the transverse ligament to the anterior side of the foramen magnum (near the basilar part) in the occipital bone of the skull. The inferior longitudinal band connects the transverse ligament to the body of the axis bone (C2). ^[1]

Variation

The inferior longitudinal band may be absent in some people; the rest of the ligament is invariably present. ^[3]

Gerber's ligament

In about half of individuals, an additional band - Gerber's ligament - arises at the junction of the transverse ligament and superior band, and is situated deep to the superior band. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]}

Function

The cruciate ligament of the atlas prevents abnormal movements of the atlanto-axial joint. ^[1] The longitudinal bands prevent hyperflexion and hyperextension of the occipital bone, and hold the transverse ligament of the atlas in a normal position. ^[1]

Clinical significance

Any part of the cruciate ligament of the atlas may tear, which is a significant injury.^{[ citation needed ]} This may be caused by fractures of the atlas bone. ^[3] Ligament tears may be imaged with radiography, a CT scan, or magnetic resonance imaging. ^[3]

Ossification

Very rarely, the cruciate ligament of the atlas may ossify. ^[5] This may lead to cervical myelopathy, that is, damage to the spinal cord. ^[5]

Etymology

The terms "cruciform" and "cruciate" refer to the cross shape of the ligament. ^[1] Both terms are frequently used, although the term "cruciate" may be confusing due to confusion with the anterior cruciate ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament of the knee. ^[3]

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 293 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

1. Cramer, Gregory D. (2014). "5 - The Cervical Region". Clinical anatomy of the spine, spinal cord, and ANS (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier Health Sciences, Mosby. pp. 135–209. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-07954-9.00005-0. ISBN   978-0-323-07954-9. OCLC   830314791.
2. Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology (1998). Terminologia anatomica: international anatomical terminology. Thieme. pp. 27–. ISBN   978-3-13-114361-7 . Retrieved 17 June 2010.
3. Tubbs, R. Shane; Iwanaga, Joe; Loukas, Marios; Kassem, Mohammad D. (2019-01-04). "The Cruciform Ligament". Clinical Anatomy of the Ligaments of the Craniocervical Junction. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 155–160. ISBN   978-1-5275-2418-7.
4. Ishak, Basem; Gnanadev, Raja; Dupont, Graham; Kikuta, Shogo; Altafulla, Juan; Iwanaga, Joe; Tubbs, R. Shane (April 2019). "Gerber's Ligament—A Forgotten Structure of the Craniocervical Junction". World Neurosurgery. 124: e707 –e709. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.12.198. PMID   30660889.
5. Baqai, Muhammad Waqas Saeed; Javed, Gohar; Baig, Mirza Zain (2019). "Ossification of the Cruciform Ligament of Atlas; a Rare Cause of Cervical Myelopathy: Case Report and Review of Literature". Asian Journal of Neurosurgery. 14 (3): 999–1003. doi: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_76_19 . ISSN   1793-5482. PMC   6703042 . PMID   31497151.